


nighttime wanderings

by pinknamjoon



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Dorks in Love, Friends to Lovers, Happy Draco Malfoy, M/M, Post-War, Room of Requirement, eighth year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 21:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11216343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinknamjoon/pseuds/pinknamjoon
Summary: Harry and Draco quite literally bump into each other one night, and a new friendship blossoms.





	nighttime wanderings

Once again, Harry Potter found himself wandering the halls of Hogwarts, in the dead of night. 

He had been increasingly restless. Every night came more nightmares. Eighth year was his hardest year at Hogwarts, by far. He couldn't focus on his studies, the war coming back to haunt him every waking hour. He and Ginny hadn't had a proper conversation since they had ended things at the beginning of the year. Plus, Malfoy had been acting up. 

Or rather, he hadn't been acting up at all. The corridors felt empty without the Slytherin's snide comments, and potions rather dull without the occasional mushroom thrown into his unruly hair. Malfoy has been quieter, more conspicuous, lacking his usual clique of crones following him everywhere he went. 

Harry knew he should feel relieved. But instead, he missed it. He was wary of the sudden change in personality, of course. He told his friends, but they seemed unbothered. But after everything he had been through at Hogwarts, he couldn't help but be suspicious. 

So he walked wherever his feet took him, Malfoy filling his thoughts. He ended up outside the Room of Requirement, its doors always open to him. It knew what he needed as soon as he walked close to it, apparently, because the hinges flew open, and he stepped inside. 

He was in the room filled with bits and baubles, vintage armchairs and wardrobes, broomsticks to stuffed wolverines. He had always found this room was his favourite. So many secrets, so many lost possessions. So many chances for innocent adventure. His life contained so many perils and dangers that being able to wander around a seemingly infinite room of forgotten items had a calming effect on him. 

He ran his fingers over the intricate carvings on a wooden armoire, admiring the attention to detail. His fingers left trails in the dust. No one had ventured this far into the room in a long time. Or so he thought. 

He rounded a corner, gazing at the shelves of jewelry, when he bumped into a firm chest. 

The two fell backwards, sprawling onto the ground. 

Harry groaned, and sat up. He looked at the person in front of him, and Draco Malfoy stared back. 

"Hi Draco." He said. 'Malfoy' didn't seem appropriate at that moment in time. 

"Harry." The blond boy nodded. 

"What are you doing out of bed?  
You could get detention for that." Harry told Draco, mock patronization laced in his voice. 

"I could ask you the same question." He grinned back. Harry didn't think he had ever seen him genuinely smile before. He liked it. 

"Couldn't sleep." Harry shrugged. 

"I know the feeling." Draco said, getting up and dusting himself off. 

Only now did Harry realize that Draco was wearing sweatpants and a black, tight-fitting tank top, his hair messy and out of place. He stared at the muscles rippling across the other boy's arms as he stretched. Again, Harry had never seen him in anything but robes.  
Draco walked up to him, and held out a hand. 

"Want help?" 

Harry grasped his hand, and pulled himself up. 

"Want to take a walk? This place goes on forever." Draco suggested.  
Harry nodded. 

They walked on for a while, talking for the first time as something other than two boys with mutual dislike for each other. 

"Why the sudden change?" Harry blurted out, slapping a hand over his mouth as soon as the words had left his lips. 

"What do you mean?" Draco looked at Harry, puzzled. 

"Well, you're quieter in class, you've dumped your old group, you never mock me or hurl insults at me anymore. Why the change? Had we seen each other like this two years ago, your wand would have been at my throat immediately. Why the change?" 

"I don't want to be that boy anymore. Voldemort took everything from me. I don't have enough energy to be mean. I've grown up." Draco told him, looking off into the distance. 

Harry nodded, understanding.  
"I lost a lot too. So many people I loved were taken from me. That's why I've been pacing the corridors every night instead of sleeping. I can't bear the pain that comes with the dark." 

"I can't sleep either. Nightmares have plagued me every since that fateful day." 

"My nocturnal habits have brought me one good thing though." Harry said, thoughtfully. 

"What?" 

"You. I don't think I would have found someone who had the same experiences as me. Hermione and Ron are great, but they don't get it." 

Draco nodded, hanging on to Harry's words like they were all he had left in the world. 

"It figures that only the Chosen One would be able to understand what I'm feeling." Draco smiled. 

It might have been Harry's sleep-lacking brain, or the fact that it was really dark, but Draco seemed to glow. Harry had always known that Draco was an unnaturally attractive person, but this was the first time he was really struck by it.  
Harry could get used to that smile. 

Their meetings became regular. Every night, they found each other in the Room of Requirement. They healed old wounds, a friendship blossoming between the two of them. 

They became friendly in classes as well, much to the shock of the rest of their year. Ron and Hermione the most. 

Harry had waved and smiled while passing him in the hallways, a happy "Hiya Draco!" falling from his lips. 

His friends jaws hit the floor. They gaped at him all the way to their next class. 

"Did you just... What?" Ron said, bewildered. 

Harry just shrugged, the corners of his mouth peeking upwards. 

Hermione was more understanding. She listened to his story, and smiled. 

"Rivalries become taxing on the mind after a while. Ron doesn't understand that. You and Draco have grown up. Matured. You two always had more in common than you thought." She told him. 

Harry began to delight in watching classmates and teachers as he and Draco walked down the halls together. 

McGonagall was awestruck, Seamus stunned, Dean grinned, poor Professor Flitwick nearly fell off his stool. 

Months passed, and Hogwarts grew accustomed to unlikely friendships. Ginny and Pansy became a pair to never cross, and Neville started tutoring a group of first year Slytherins. 

Harry and Draco still met at night, talking till dawn. 

"I don't think I ever thanked you for Malfoy Manor." Harry said, staring off into the twilight. 

Draco cocked his head to the side questioningly. 

"You said you didn't recognize me. Even with the charm Hermione put on me, you could tell it was me. You saved my life. And I just realized I never thanked you." 

"And I never thanked you for saving my life from the fire in this room. I think we're even." 

"How did it survive, do you think?" 

"I spent my first weeks back here repairing everything."

"Why?" Harry asked, taken aback. 

"Now that I think of it, I think it was because it was my one connection to you. As more than rivals. For the first time, you showed me kindness. And because I never thought we could be friends, I wanted to keep this place as my sanctuary. My one link to the real Harry Potter."

Harry didn't know what to say. He was drawn a blank. Instead, he admired his friends face.  
Draco really was quite handsome. His high cheekbones, strong jawline, porcelain skin. His cloudy grey eyes, looking like the sea before a storm. His eyes gravitated towards Draco's lips. His bow lipped mouth curved upwards as his hand waved in front of Harry's face. 

"Earth to Potter? Are you okay?" Draco grinned. 

"Yup. I'm just tired." Harry shrugged. 

"Okay. Let's walk back to the dormitories, yeah?" 

They carefully made their way through the room, making sure not to knock down anything. 

But still something fell. Both boys jumped, Draco's hand suddenly grasping Harry's. Even after he shock had passed, their hands stayed clasped together. Harry's heart was racing all the way back to his rooms, even after Draco had gone to bed. 

He looked at the ceiling, mind whirring. He knew he was bisexual. But was he in love with Draco?  
When it came down to it, Harry realized he had always had a small crush on Draco. His odd obsession with the boy had always been extensive. When Ron and Hermione had thought that Draco wasn't doing anything, Harry kept investigating. 

For the third consecutive week, Harry Potter fell asleep to the thought of Draco Malfoy's lips. 

The next night, Harry and Draco sat on a windowsill in their sanctuary, looking out at the stars. 

"I don't know how you did it." Draco said, gaze still on the night sky. 

Harry looked at the pale boy, his eyes asking the question for him. 

"You were the Boy Who Lived for years. You lead the rebellion against Voldemort. You refused to crumble when the whole wizarding world thought you were lying. And yet, you could still smile. I don't know how you did it." 

"I had the right people by my side. I knew who I was fighting for. That's all it took." 

"I only ever had one person to fight for. You. I had to believe that you could fix our world, Harry Potter. I had to believe you could defeat the Dark Lord. You were my last hope." 

And again, Harry was taken aback by Draco's words. His eyes moved to those perfect lips, and he felt himself move forward, and suddenly, he was kissing Draco Malfoy. 

He swallowed the other boys gasp, and closed his eyes as Draco kissed back, his long, pale fingers slipping into Harry's hair. 

Stars painted themselves on his eyelids, reflecting the diamonds sparkling in the sky above them. His heart went supernova, his mind blurring out everything else but the boy around his waist. 

If you had told third year Harry that he would be sitting in the Room of Requirement snogging his mortal enemy, he would have asked you who jinxed you. But now, nothing has ever felt more right. 

What felt like hours later, they broke apart. Draco was smiling that brilliant smile of his, and Harry felt drunk on glee. No words needed to be spoken, everything they needed to tell each other was reflected in their happy grins, and sparkling eyes. 

Draco accompanied Harry to bed that night, all of their actions innocent, arms wrapped around each other, falling asleep to each other's heartbeats. 

Once again, Harry took joy in watching the faces of his peers, this time as he and his boyfriend walked down the corridors hand in hand. McGonagall smiled knowingly, Seamus wolf whistled, and Dean winked. Ginny congratulated him, and wrapped her arm around her girlfriend, Luna. Ron was bewildered but accepting, and Hermione just smiled knowingly. 

The Boy Who Lived was finally living, and the Boy Who Made All The Wrong Choices was by his side, finally making the right ones. And they couldn't be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr! @ambersdyke


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